UM conducts successful test of emergency siren

ORONO – Testing of the University of Maine’s new emergency notification siren was done Monday without a hitch, according to UM officials.

“It went off perfectly,” UM spokesman Joe Carr said. “Police officers went to the various corners of the campus and reported they were able to hear it loud and clear.”

The siren was installed last month on top of a building near the center of campus.

A mechanism is in place that allows the siren to communicate with the control computer three times a day to ensure that the communication lines are functioning, Carr explained.

Monday’s test was to ensure that the siren was loud enough and that its mechanical parts were working.

“It does work,” Carr said. “We were pleased.”

The complete notification system recently instated by UM includes both a siren and a Web-based messaging system called umaine.txt.

Under the new system, the siren serves as a signal to seek emergency information, by visiting UM’s Web site (www.umaine.edu), checking for a text message or e-mail message, or calling 581-INFO. Tests will continue to be held on Mondays and will include a brief, low-volume siren test, lasting just a few seconds.

At 11:55 a.m. Friday, Oct. 19, UM will conduct a full-scale emergency notification system drill. This will involve postings on umaine.edu, notifications (text message and e-mail) through umaine.txt, a recorded message on 581-INFO and postings on FirstClass, the university’s internal e-mail conferencing system.

The siren will sound on low volume beginning at 11:55 a.m., to serve as a warning to employees or contractors who might be working on roofs at that time. The full-volume siren signal will begin at noon, and will last three minutes. UM will conduct full-volume siren tests, as recommended by its manufacturer, four times each year, according to a schedule that will be developed and publicized later this year.